


not funny

by ofstormsandwolves



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-29 20:17:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10143176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofstormsandwolves/pseuds/ofstormsandwolves
Summary: When a trip to an alien planet leaves Rose trapped in her 11 year old body, the Doctor finds it just a little amusing.





	

“It ain’t funny!”

The Doctor pursed his lips at the sight of the small blonde girl in front of him, and did his best to hide his amusement.

“No,” he agreed, desperately trying to avoid smiling, “you’re right. It’s not.” He surveyed the girl in front of him again, and finally cracked. “Although you’ve got to admit, Rose, it is a bit!”

Rose Tyler responded by folding her arms and glaring up at him. And today, she had to look up even more than usual; thanks to a minor miscalculation by the Doctor, and Rose’s habit of wandering off on alien planets, she had somehow been regressed by ten years, leaving her at just eleven years old. 

Once the Doctor had recovered at the sight of his small, suddenly pre-teen companion appearing sullenly at his side while he haggled for a TARDIS part, he’d dragged her back to their ship and run a scan. He’d quickly discovered that her skin had absorbed some sort of special chemical that reversed the aging process, and he’d immediately questioned Rose on just what she’d been up to while she’d been on her own at the market.

It had all been down to her trying some beauty product ensuring to ‘take years off her’. It had done that alright, a little too well. And ever since Rose had revealed the cause of her regression, the Doctor hadn’t quite being able to keep a straight face.

“Doctor! What do we do? I can’t stay like this!” She was pouting then, and it suddenly made the whole thing a little less funny for the Doctor. Tears were welling in her brown eyes, and honestly she looked miserable. His amusement was quickly replaced with a tenderness, and he quickly made to reassure her.

“It’ll wear off, Rose,” he told her gently. “Probably within the next two or three days.”

She nodded, but didn’t seem to be any happier at that news. Instead, she fisted the now slightly too long sleeves in her hands, and didn’t meet his gaze. The Doctor took pity on her quickly.

“Why don’t you go get changed and I’ll meet you in the snug with some food. We can have a movie night.”

She nodded again, and gave him a weak smile before disappearing into the depths of the TARDIS. The Doctor watched her go. Really, there wasn’t that much difference between 11 year old Rose and her usual 21 year old self. Admittedly, she was a little shorter, below five foot tall, and she wasn’t quite as slim as usual. But she wasn’t exactly big, either. No, it was obvious that it was baby weight, and there were already more than a few hints of how Rose would- and did usually- look when she’d finished growing. And then, the Doctor realised, there were the hormones to consider. Not only had it been a strange day, with Rose feeling bewildered and uncertain, but she was trapped in her growing pre-teen body, where hormones were rife. Coupled with the fact that they hadn’t had much downtime the last few days, it was no wonder she was feeling a little lost and vulnerable.

The Doctor let out a slow breath then, and turned to check that they were indeed safe in the vortex. Happy with what the TARDIS controls were telling him, he then made his way to the galley. What Rose needed was some comfort food, and some downtime. He made quick work of digging the chips out of the freezer, putting them onto a tray and into the oven. He then set about making tea. Clearly, the TARDIS had sensed Rose’s distress, because the chips cooked much quicker than usual, and the Doctor had barely finished stirring in the milk and sugar to their tea before feeling the mental nudge of the TARDIS. He took the chips out, sending a mental thanks to his ship, and poured the chips into a bowl before gathering up the two mugs of tea as well.  
When he reached the snug, Rose was tucked up on the small sofa, a bright pink blanket from her bedroom wrapped around her. His hearts nearly stopped at the sight- her face peered over the back of the sofa at him, wide brown eyes and rounded cheeks, and her whole appearance seemed so much younger than usual. Which, of course, made sense given the circumstances, but it still surprised the Doctor.

“I’ve got tea and chips,” he told her finally as he made his way over to sit beside her.

Rose beamed at him, and untangled an arm from her blanket to accept the mug. She then shifted up the sofa to let the Doctor sit down. He flopped down and settled the bowl of chips between them.

“What are you watching?” the Doctor asked when he saw Rose’s attention had returned to the TV.

She shrugged, and handed him the remote. “Dunno,” she admitted, not looking around from the TV. “First thing that came on when I turned it on. Think it’s a quiz show.”

The Doctor watched then, as Rose sank even further down in her blanket. “You won’t be able to drink your tea, you know,” he told her in faint amusement. “Not with that blanket over your mouth.”

Rose glared at him, but quickly turned her attention back to the TV. The Doctor watched her carefully for a few moments, frowning. He then pushed the bowl of chips towards her.

“You feeling alright?” he asked, when Rose took a couple of chips but didn’t eat any more.

She shrugged again. “Feeling a little funny,” she admitted. “Got a headache, too.”

“That’s to be expected,” the Doctor admitted gently. “Your body’s been regressed. You’re bound to feel some discomfort, Rose.” He paused, then frowned. “Do you need any pain relief?”

Rose shook her head, but paled at the movement. Quickly, the Doctor moved the bowl of chips to the coffee table and pulled Rose into his side, encouraging her to lie down. He then reached for the remote and turned the volume down on the TV.

“You’re sure this won’t last long?” Rose mumbled, before letting out a yawn.

“Only a few days,” he assured, running his fingers through her hair.

Rose snorted softly at that. “You sure?”

“Rose, I ran tests. Of course I’m sure.”

“Yeah, like you were sure there was nothin’ that would harm me on that planet.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “Says the girl who wandered off.”

He felt Rose shrug against him. “You said I could go shopping. Not my fault they’ve got some freaky face cream that made me 11 years old.”

The Doctor hummed, fingers still smoothing at Rose’s hair. “I am sorry. You’re right, it’s not your fault, and if I’d double-checked where we’d landed-”

He broke off as Rose forced herself into a sitting position so she could look at him. “Doctor, it’s fine. Like you said, it’ll wear off in a couple of days.” She gave him a soft, tired smile.

He returned it, and encouraged her to lie down again.

“Besides,” she mumbled into his trouser leg, “you owe me a shopping trip now.”


End file.
